Pulley or feed wheel



Dec. 21, 1943. C, E BUOTE 2,337,308

PULLEY OR FEED WHEEL Filed July 9, 1941 "Wfl I INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 21, 1943 PULLEY R FEED WHEEL Clarence E. Bunte, Pawtucket, R. I., assigner to chine Company, a corpo- H & B American Ma ration of Maine Application July 9, 1941, Serial No. 401,626

2 Claims.

This invention relates to pulleys, and more particularly to feed wheels, tension wheels and pulleys of the type provided with a peripheral groove for receiving strand material such as, for example, a cord or the like; and has for one of its objects the provision of an improved pulley or Wheel structure in which the working portions of the side walls of the groove are so arranged as to provide a sinuous path for the cord or strand and have good gripping engagement therewith without jamming and with no cut-out openings in the regions where the cord will be normally gripped.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pulley or wheel of this type which is of simple and inexpensive construction comprising a pair of duplicate opposed annular disc-like sections the side Walls of which in the region of the Working portions of the groove will be of an imperforate and radially corrugated character which will be arranged to provide intertting means for gripping a cord or strand. y

A further object of the invention is to provide means for centering and properly positioning the intertting cord-gripping means of the two opposed sections, and for Vpreventing rotative move- 'ment `of the sections relative to each other.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain noval features 'of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a complete pulley or feed wheel embodying the preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the annular members of the pulley or wheel shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a central sectional view taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a central sectional view taken on line 4 4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. `5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the intertting relation of the cordr`gripping elements of the 'pulley or wheel shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view taken on line l- 6 in Fig. 5.

My improved pulley or wheel structure briefly comprises a pair of duplicate annular members r'iixedly mounted in opposedrelation upon a hub in which each of the members has an intermedi- Yate corrugated body portion which is imperforate 'and formed with a plurality'of .radial ribs proj'ecting outwardly from theinner face of the member and 'a vplurality of 'radially arranged pockets extending laterally of the member in the opposite direction from the ribs in which the pockets alternate with the ribs in the same member to form spacing portions between the ribs and to provide in the assembled pulley or wheel the sunken parts into which the ribs of the opposite member have intertting relationship. The outer surfaces of the ribs are inclined and the front sloping faces of successive ribs in the opposed members are relatively long and in the assembled pulley have a crossing relation with each other to form inward extensions of outwardly flaring circumferential rim portions on the inner sides of the members to form a peripheral V-groove with interrupted side Walls which present a sinuous course laterally and circularly of the pulleyv to receive a strand or cord and grippingly engage the same but not so tightly as to Vprevent it from being easily released as the cord is carried along in a curved path by the rotation of the pulley or wheel.

In the preferred embodiment chosen for disclosure herein the pulley or wheel structure comprises two duplicate annular members IEI xed to a hub I2, each member being formed from sheet material, such as a sheet metal stamping of suitable gauge to provide the desired stiffness. If desired, the members I il may be molded from either metal or non-metallic materials instead of being made from a stamping.

As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, each member I0 has an inwardly dished outer side I3 formed at its outer edge with a short laterally projectn ing circumferential lip I4 of arcuate cross-section. The outer surface of the lip I 4 provides the peripheral face I5 of the member I0, and is convexedly curved and merges with the conical surface of the wide sloping rim portion I 6 adjacent the outer periphery of the member on the inner side of the member I 0 so that when the two members are placed together in assem- Y bled relation, the opposed rim portions I6 provide the outwardly flaring entrance of the V'- groove to receive a cord or other strand material.

The portion of each member lying around the marginal edges of the central opening I8 is of annular form provided with flat surfaces on its opposite side faces and forms a central web I9. As shown in Fig. 3, the web portions I9 of the two members I0 are in contact with each other in the assembled pulley or wheel,

Disposed between the outer boundary 'of v'the annular inner web portion I9 of each member IU and the inner Vboundary of the annular rim portion I6 is the radially corrugated imperiorate intermediate face portion generally indicated at which in the complete pulley or Wheel forms the inner cord-engaging and gripping portions of the side walls of the groove of the Wheel or pulley. In the form herein shown, the metal of the intermediate portion 20 has been struck laterally to provide a plurality of radially extending, projections or ribs 2| which project axially from the inner side face of'the member I0 and extend radiallyVV from the inner m boundary of the rim portion 'I6 towards the other member as well as to prevent rotation of center of the respective wheel members I0. Al-

ternating with these ribs around theumemberv are a plurality of radially arranged depressions or pocketsV 22 which project laterally from the outer face of the member I0 into the dished side thereof, the pockets 22 being struck vfrom the metal lying between each pair of adjacent ribs. The arrangement of ribs 2| and pockets 22 is such that a rib and a pocket will lie upon any diametrical line taken in the member.V

As illustrated in Fig. 2, each of the ribs 2| is of generally pyramidal form'radially ofthe wheel and has sloping sides 24, 25, 26, and 21 which intersect to provide the apex 28 and with 'the' edges of respective intersecting pairs voi? sloping surfaces being rounded, 'Ihe apex 28 is well set back from the outer peripheral edge of themember to provide with respect tothe Vapex the short rsteep rearwardly sloping surface 24 and the relatively longV forwardly sloping surface which terminates at its outer radial extremities von the inner boundary of the marginal rim portion I6 of the member III, merges into the sloping surface of said rim portion I6 to form a radial extension thereof.

The ribs 2| and the pockets 22 of each member |0 are preferably of a size so that when the' two members I0 are placed together in opposed relationin the assembled pulley or'wheel, one member being inverted with respect toY the other, the central web portions I9 of the two members will be in contactas shown in Fig. 3, and the ribs 2| in one member will project into the depressions or pockets 22 in the other member.' When thus assembled, the apex 28 of Veach of the ribs 2| will be nested in the hollow ofthe deepest part of its respective pocket 22Y with a slight gap formed between the contiguous surfaces, and from this common point outwardly toward the -rim portions I6 the juxtaposed sloping surfaces of the rib 2| and the pocket 22 diverge so that the spacing therebetween becomes progressively greater as they approach and intersect the inner limit of the rim portion I6 as indicated at 29. yIt will thus be seenfthat by this arrangement the long sloping outer surface 25 of one rib 2| in one member and thato-f Vthe next adjacent rib '2| in the other member` will have a generally crossing vrelationship to formV the working region of a V groove and provide a passage of sinuous formation, as shown in Fig.V 6, which extends laterally and circularly of the completedY pulley or wheel adapted to receivel and provide good gripping or frictional engagement with a cord or strand and 'form with the Y opposed convexedly curved rim portions I6 the side walls of the completeV V-groove. As illustrated in Fig. 6, the ribs 2| are shown as being hollow and of substantially U-shaped formation circularly of the wheel. Y n Y The two members Y Il) Vare permanently secured in their assembled relation to the hub by assembling themY upon the reduced end portion 3| 1 of the cylindrical ub I2 with the inner faces of the members I0 placed together and with the dished outer faces of the members ID facing in opposite directions. The reduced end portion 5 3| of the hub I2 extends through the central openings I8 in the members I0 and has its outer edge upset or spread down over the outer face of the web I9 of the adjacent member to form they clamping bead 32, and accomplished by either 1n a hammering or by a spinning operation;

Means are provided to aid in centering the ribs of one member within the pockets in the the members Iwith respect to each other on 5 the hub I2, and in its preferred form this means comprises interfltting elements of similar shape carried by the web portion I9 of each member. In the form herein shown, the metal of the web portion I9 opposite the inner end of a. rib 2| is struck laterally to provide a recess 35 on the inner side of the member IIJy and a projection 36 on Vthe outer or dished side of the member. Similarly, a recess 31 is formed in the web portion I9 on its outer side and a projection 38 25 on the inner side at a point diametrically across the web from the projection 36 and opposite a pocket 22. The projections 36 and. 38 and the recesses 35 and 3'I are all of the same size so that when the members I0 are placed together in assembled position, the projections 38 of the members will extend into the oppositely disposed recesses 35, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and will act to prevent relative rotational movement of the members I0.

To secure the pulley or wheel to a shaft, this may be done by tightening a set screw 40 threaded into Ythe hub I2. While I have illustrated an Allen'set screw for this purpose, it will be apparent that a set screw of either the slotted type or of vthe headed type may be substituted therefor.

Such Aa pulley or wheel construction is particularly adapted for use as a feed wheel or a tension wheel in rubber covering machines where good gripping engagement but ready release of the cord or strand acted upon are of great importance. Y I claim: Y p 1. A wheel construction comprising a hub having near one end a reduced portion forming a shoulder and having the edge of said reduced portion turned over to form a clamping bead, and a pair of duplicate imperforate discs attached to said' hub between said shoulder and 5" said bead; ,each disc having a central opening fined by said'inner annular flat portion, another series of radially disposed ribs outstanding on the other side of said plane, the ribs of each series Vbeing intermediate of those of the other series, an outer ilat portion beyondV the outer rends of Vsaid ribs inclined to said plane and .ter-

minating in a rounded over edge turned away from said plane; the said discs being attached as aforesaid with their inner annular` Yflat portions in contact, with their outer annular iiat 7D 'portions inclined away from one another, and

lwith the ribs of one disc nesting in spaces between theribs of the other disc to form a V.- groove beyond the outer ends of all said ribs. 2. A wheel construction comprising a hub hav- 5 ing near oneV end aVr reduced portion forming a shoulder and having the edge of said reduced portion turned over to form a clamping bead, and a pair of duplicate imperforate discs attached to said hub between said shoulder and said bead; each disc having a central opening through which said reduced portion of the hub extends, an inner annular fiat portion surrounding said opening, a series of radially disposed ribs outstanding on one side of the plane dened by said inner annular flat portion, another series of radially disposed ribs outstanding on the other side of said plane, the ribs of each series being intermediate of those of the other series, a projection pressed out of said inner at portion on one side leaving a socket on the opposite side thereof, another projection pressed out of said inner at portion on said opposite side leaving a socket on the rst said side thereof, one said projection being opposite a rib of one of said series and the other projection being opposite a ribv of the other of said series, an outer fiat portion beyond the outer ends of said ribs inclined to said plane and terminating in a rounded over edge turned away from saidplane; thesaid discs being attached as aforesaid with their inner annular iiat portions in contact with a projection on one disc inserted in a socket of the other disc, with their outer annular flat portions inclined away from one another, and with the ribs of one disc nesting in spaces between the ribs of the other disc to form a V-groove beyond the outer ends of all said ribs.

CLARENCE E. B UOTE. 

